I wouldn't complain at all over this signing...does anyone remember who/what we signed this time last year? WE signed Michael Jenkins, Donald Jones and some dope from the Titans...then we cut Lloyd because he was due a roster bonus. And we also tried to muscle Welker and ended up with Amendola. That is what we did.

Now we sign a former second round pick who has size, some NFL production and is in his prime...how's that even a comparison to what we usually do? We gave him a 3 year 11 million dollar contract - I imagine they like him if they did that - if he can be a decent number two option I'll like him too. I already like him better than what we signed last year.

I remember the days when we used to have off seasons like this - signing good players who are in their prime or heading into their prime - this is the way I like it. No more of the over the hill has beens for cheap. No more of the low risk, high reward! Types. No more of passing over a Brandon Browner and ending up with a Steven Gregory and saying...he had more value. Keep it going.

I've tried to figure out why he went so small in the secodary the past five years (selecting those shorter corners). The only thing I came up with is he thought the new rules would really change how you could cover a receiver (not as much physical play, etc). I just think he went for quicker, smaller guys who had good hips and could play in space without the benefit of grabbing onto a receiver at the line and slowing him down. Didn't work obviously - and we've all seen how much they let the holding and interferance go in the post season anyway - I like our new approach.

I've been reading a lot of negativity regarding the LaFell signing on the net. So I decided to to take a look at his career stats with Carolina. What I see is a player (statistically) that is improving every year. I am thinking his improvement mirrors his QBs improvement as a passer ... let's face it, Cam could not throw the ball for a couple of yrs with any consistency. Pretty hard for a young WR to develop with a young QB who is essentially a college athlete ... not a pro QB ... 49 catches last yr, is pretty good. He has some size and seems to not have much mileage on him (no big injuries). LaFell could be a real sleeper ... or just avg .... but with Dobson hurt and still young and unproven, I really like this signing. I don't mind Sanders, but he is just another 5'10" smurf ... we have enough of those with Edelman, Danny A and Boyce.

May not be the best WR crew in the league, but imagine being a Carolina fan. You've lost Smith, LaFell and Ginn and added nobody. You now have people named Tavarres King, Toney Clemons, Kealoha Pilares and Marvin McNutt as your depth chart. I'm sure Cam is thrilled.

That's how I felt last year with the Pats. I considered Amendola, Jones, and Jenkins as nobody. Also how I felt about the Pas in 06'. Appearently BB agrees considering really the only two times he's broken the mold and went out and got a top 10 FA and another extremely solid starter or two was in 07' and this year

Seriously? You're comparing Edelman, Amendola, Dobson and Boyce (plus Collie) to King, Clemons, Pilares and McNutt? I looked it up, the Carolina guys have a combined 5 career receptions for 85 yards.

Edelman could never stay on the field and nether could Amendola so yes I didn't think you'd get much from them (I was half right), and if I am right Boyce and Dobson had 0 NFL catches to their record last offseason. Btw Collie didn't come until part way through the season so comparing their current WR to what we had last off season you had a couple of potential guys and 2 guys who couldn't give a full season in their careers which meant you needed to count on those draft picks.

He'd be my first choice but don't think he's there at 29. Hageman or Tuitt are more likely but either would be a welcome addition!

If they don't figure out the C position, is there a C that is first round worthy and at least as good as those DLs? Or a G so they can move Connolly? Or is C a deep enough position where they can wait until the second round?

Imo no C is worth the 1st round pick. Some of the best C's in the league usually are found in the mid rounds and even with Pouncey or Mack can you really say spending high on those guys had a bigger effect then drafting say a DL, CB, or WR?

I've been reading a lot of negativity regarding the LaFell signing on the net. So I decided to to take a look at his career stats with Carolina. What I see is a player (statistically) that is improving every year. I am thinking his improvement mirrors his QBs improvement as a passer ... let's face it, Cam could not throw the ball for a couple of yrs with any consistency. Pretty hard for a young WR to develop with a young QB who is essentially a college athlete ... not a pro QB ... 49 catches last yr, is pretty good. He has some size and seems to not have much mileage on him (no big injuries). LaFell could be a real sleeper ... or just avg .... but with Dobson hurt and still young and unproven, I really like this signing. I don't mind Sanders, but he is just another 5'10" smurf ... we have enough of those with Edelman, Danny A and Boyce.

I'm hoping for the same thing. In reading the Panther's fans response to the signing, it sounds like we over payed, but did we really over pay if this kid turns into a solid number two receiver? Nope.

I've been reading a lot of negativity regarding the LaFell signing on the net. So I decided to to take a look at his career stats with Carolina. What I see is a player (statistically) that is improving every year. I am thinking his improvement mirrors his QBs improvement as a passer ... let's face it, Cam could not throw the ball for a couple of yrs with any consistency. Pretty hard for a young WR to develop with a young QB who is essentially a college athlete ... not a pro QB ... 49 catches last yr, is pretty good. He has some size and seems to not have much mileage on him (no big injuries). LaFell could be a real sleeper ... or just avg .... but with Dobson hurt and still young and unproven, I really like this signing. I don't mind Sanders, but he is just another 5'10" smurf ... we have enough of those with Edelman, Danny A and Boyce.

I'm hoping for the same thing. In reading the Panther's fans response to the signing, it sounds like we over payed, but did we really over pay if this kid turns into a solid number two receiver? Nope.

Denver pd $15 mm for 3 yrs to Sanders so ... the mkt is what it is ...

I hope they sign Britt too ... take him for a test drive in camp ...if he makes the team and reaches his potential, then, great ... if not, cut him. The guy is on his last chance he has to take what he gets with regard to no contract guarantees

Just watched a little film of him from last year. Thought he did a nice job in shorter routes (slants, curls, outs, etc.). His size makes him a big target and he actually catches the ball well in traffic. He's less impressive on deep routes. I wouldn't call him slow, but he's not blowing the top off the defense either and he doesn't seem to catch as well when trying to run at full speed downfield.

Still like him though. I think Brady needs more big targets, especially with the question marks around TE. I have a feeling LaFell will be a nice addition who'll be much more productive with Brady throwing to him than he was with Newton as his QB.

According to the profootballfocus.com data, the guy wasn't that good last year. He couldn't run the in route or the out route to save his life last year. Perhaps he was playing on an injured leg. However, he made hay when he ran upfield, ran a slant or a screen.

BB may have decided, "ok, that's what he's good for, and that's what he'll do as a Patriot 99% of the time". In other words, he wasn't used properly last year. The guy blocks well, 6 foot 2, 211 pounds. If somebody else's defense doesn't have enough quality heavy guys to cover Gronk, Dobson and LaFell then BB will put them all in and Brady will have an open guy, or else they'll hand the ball to Ridley and he'll get plenty of blocking.

Just watched a little film of him from last year. Thought he did a nice job in shorter routes (slants, curls, outs, etc.). His size makes him a big target and he actually catches the ball well in traffic. He's less impressive on deep routes. I wouldn't call him slow, but he's not blowing the top off the defense either and he doesn't seem to catch as well when trying to run at full speed downfield.

Still like him though. I think Brady needs more big targets, especially with the question marks around TE. I have a feeling LaFell will be a nice addition who'll be much more productive with Brady throwing to him than he was with Newton as his QB.

According to the profootballfocus.com data, the guy wasn't that good last year. He couldn't run the in route or the out route to save his life last year. Perhaps he was playing on an injured leg. However, he made hay when he ran upfield, ran a slant or a screen.

BB may have decided, "ok, that's what he's good for, and that's what he'll do as a Patriot 99% of the time". In other words, he wasn't used properly last year. The guy blocks well, 6 foot 2, 211 pounds. If somebody else's defense doesn't have enough quality heavy guys to cover Gronk, Dobson and LaFell then BB will put them all in and Brady will have an open guy, or else they'll hand the ball to Ridley and he'll get plenty of blocking.

I haven't watched a ton of film and maybe picked the two or three games where he was at his best, but I saw him do well on both in and out routes. They did use a lot of bunch formations, which maybe made it easier for him to get open, but I thought he did get space for himself and caught the ball well. But it was only a small sample. Maybe tonight I'll watch some more, but so far I like the signing. We forget because the Pats have been so cheap in free agency in recent years, but three or four million is about right for a mid-tier receiver, and that's what I see him as.

Just watched a little film of him from last year. Thought he did a nice job in shorter routes (slants, curls, outs, etc.). His size makes him a big target and he actually catches the ball well in traffic. He's less impressive on deep routes. I wouldn't call him slow, but he's not blowing the top off the defense either and he doesn't seem to catch as well when trying to run at full speed downfield.

Still like him though. I think Brady needs more big targets, especially with the question marks around TE. I have a feeling LaFell will be a nice addition who'll be much more productive with Brady throwing to him than he was with Newton as his QB.

According to the profootballfocus.com data, the guy wasn't that good last year. He couldn't run the in route or the out route to save his life last year. Perhaps he was playing on an injured leg. However, he made hay when he ran upfield, ran a slant or a screen.

BB may have decided, "ok, that's what he's good for, and that's what he'll do as a Patriot 99% of the time". In other words, he wasn't used properly last year. The guy blocks well, 6 foot 2, 211 pounds. If somebody else's defense doesn't have enough quality heavy guys to cover Gronk, Dobson and LaFell then BB will put them all in and Brady will have an open guy, or else they'll hand the ball to Ridley and he'll get plenty of blocking.

He doesn't have much in the way of speed and will probably disappoint 99% of the fans on this board, but he is actually an ideal system fit. A willing and able downfield blocker, a guy who can fight for the ball and use his body to box out the d backs, and another short field option in the passing game. I really dont see him as much of a red zone threat even with his height.

Just watched a little film of him from last year. Thought he did a nice job in shorter routes (slants, curls, outs, etc.). His size makes him a big target and he actually catches the ball well in traffic. He's less impressive on deep routes. I wouldn't call him slow, but he's not blowing the top off the defense either and he doesn't seem to catch as well when trying to run at full speed downfield.

Still like him though. I think Brady needs more big targets, especially with the question marks around TE. I have a feeling LaFell will be a nice addition who'll be much more productive with Brady throwing to him than he was with Newton as his QB.

According to the profootballfocus.com data, the guy wasn't that good last year. He couldn't run the in route or the out route to save his life last year. Perhaps he was playing on an injured leg. However, he made hay when he ran upfield, ran a slant or a screen.

BB may have decided, "ok, that's what he's good for, and that's what he'll do as a Patriot 99% of the time". In other words, he wasn't used properly last year. The guy blocks well, 6 foot 2, 211 pounds. If somebody else's defense doesn't have enough quality heavy guys to cover Gronk, Dobson and LaFell then BB will put them all in and Brady will have an open guy, or else they'll hand the ball to Ridley and he'll get plenty of blocking.

He doesn't have much in the way of speed and will probably disappoint 99% of the fans on this board, but he is actually an ideal system fit. A willing and able downfield blocker, a guy who can fight for the ball and use his body to box out the d backs, and another short field option in the passing game. I really dont see him as much of a red zone threat even with his height.

I think his size could help in the redzone. We just don't have enough big guys down there. I'm not saying he's anything more than what he is-- a mid-tier player--but I do think he could be a piece of the puzzle. Does he solve all the issues with our receivers and TEs? No. But I do think he adds a guy who is young and healthy has proven he can contribute as a number three wideout.

Just watched a little film of him from last year. Thought he did a nice job in shorter routes (slants, curls, outs, etc.). His size makes him a big target and he actually catches the ball well in traffic. He's less impressive on deep routes. I wouldn't call him slow, but he's not blowing the top off the defense either and he doesn't seem to catch as well when trying to run at full speed downfield.

Still like him though. I think Brady needs more big targets, especially with the question marks around TE. I have a feeling LaFell will be a nice addition who'll be much more productive with Brady throwing to him than he was with Newton as his QB.

According to the profootballfocus.com data, the guy wasn't that good last year. He couldn't run the in route or the out route to save his life last year. Perhaps he was playing on an injured leg. However, he made hay when he ran upfield, ran a slant or a screen.

BB may have decided, "ok, that's what he's good for, and that's what he'll do as a Patriot 99% of the time". In other words, he wasn't used properly last year. The guy blocks well, 6 foot 2, 211 pounds. If somebody else's defense doesn't have enough quality heavy guys to cover Gronk, Dobson and LaFell then BB will put them all in and Brady will have an open guy, or else they'll hand the ball to Ridley and he'll get plenty of blocking.

He doesn't have much in the way of speed and will probably disappoint 99% of the fans on this board, but he is actually an ideal system fit. A willing and able downfield blocker, a guy who can fight for the ball and use his body to box out the d backs, and another short field option in the passing game. I really dont see him as much of a red zone threat even with his height.

I think his size could help in the redzone. We just don't have enough big guys down there. I'm not saying he's anything more than what he is-- a mid-tier player--but I do think he could be a piece of the puzzle. Does he solve all the issues with our receivers and TEs? No. But I do think he adds a guy who is young and healthy has proven he can contribute as a number three wideout.

Yeah, I just wonder if getting a #3 receiver for just less then 4 million per year really makes sense in our system. I guess we'll have to wait to see the contract but if Lafelle plays for us the next 3 years he's making 3.7 per which is top 10 on our roster. I'd like to think he'll put up more then 40 catch 600 yard numbers.

Just watched a little film of him from last year. Thought he did a nice job in shorter routes (slants, curls, outs, etc.). His size makes him a big target and he actually catches the ball well in traffic. He's less impressive on deep routes. I wouldn't call him slow, but he's not blowing the top off the defense either and he doesn't seem to catch as well when trying to run at full speed downfield.

Still like him though. I think Brady needs more big targets, especially with the question marks around TE. I have a feeling LaFell will be a nice addition who'll be much more productive with Brady throwing to him than he was with Newton as his QB.

According to the profootballfocus.com data, the guy wasn't that good last year. He couldn't run the in route or the out route to save his life last year. Perhaps he was playing on an injured leg. However, he made hay when he ran upfield, ran a slant or a screen.

BB may have decided, "ok, that's what he's good for, and that's what he'll do as a Patriot 99% of the time". In other words, he wasn't used properly last year. The guy blocks well, 6 foot 2, 211 pounds. If somebody else's defense doesn't have enough quality heavy guys to cover Gronk, Dobson and LaFell then BB will put them all in and Brady will have an open guy, or else they'll hand the ball to Ridley and he'll get plenty of blocking.

He doesn't have much in the way of speed and will probably disappoint 99% of the fans on this board, but he is actually an ideal system fit. A willing and able downfield blocker, a guy who can fight for the ball and use his body to box out the d backs, and another short field option in the passing game. I really dont see him as much of a red zone threat even with his height.

I think his size could help in the redzone. We just don't have enough big guys down there. I'm not saying he's anything more than what he is-- a mid-tier player--but I do think he could be a piece of the puzzle. Does he solve all the issues with our receivers and TEs? No. But I do think he adds a guy who is young and healthy has proven he can contribute as a number three wideout.

Yeah, I just wonder if getting a #3 receiver for just less then 4 million per year really makes sense in our system. I guess we'll have to wait to see the contract but if Lafelle plays for us the next 3 years he's making 3.7 per which is top 10 on our roster. I'd like to think he'll put up more then 40 catch 600 yard numbers.

If he gets to a second year he'll arguably be a better pick up than Lloyd for similar money under a less generous cap. Not sure his production will equal Lloyd's in number of catches, but for all Lloyd's catches I didn't see him as much of an impact player, because he missed too many tough catches in situations where you needed a good play to keep a drive alive. I'm not saying LaFell will be an impact player, but I could see him being easily as useful to the team as Lloyd.

Great signing for decent money. Lafell fits the bill of being of a young, veteran WR with size, strentgh and upside. He is a big 6'2" who makes the tough catches, has got open deep several times for cam in the last couple years. Can work the sidelines and works hard and competes. No off field issues and played a good program in LSU. I dont what fans are looking for. I see a lots of complaints about drops. Well he catches better than Dropson and Thompkins did last year. He is a vet so shorter learning curves.

He wont be arm tackled. He is physical and blocks very well. Lots to like about him and remember he is playing w/Newton who to me is a physical specimen but doesnt love the game or take it seriously YET. Coming here, Brady will have him working hard and seeing results and he isnt expected to be great. He is a solid # 2 who could develop into a # 1 with the right opptys. Better guy to have than Britt IMO.

Just need a TE now and off. skill position is set IMO. Get your C, G in the draft along with a Stud D.T. and also need to draft a backer in mid rounds to replace Fletch as backup guy. I would like to still see a DE brought in to help w/rush.

Yeah, I just wonder if getting a #3 receiver for just less then 4 million per year really makes sense in our system. I guess we'll have to wait to see the contract but if Lafelle plays for us the next 3 years he's making 3.7 per which is top 10 on our roster. I'd like to think he'll put up more then 40 catch 600 yard numbers.

And this is what me and Pro were talking about when we said they chose to put money into the bottom half of the roster instead of into the upper. Lately you've been leaning closer to our view compared to two weeks ago, glad there is some wiggle room for both sides to agree on things. I would say though, we don't know the details of the contract. If the signing bonus is small and the base salary is back loaded it might not be close to $4mil but might be more of a 2yr $2mil a year deal which for what he gives is fine. But I agree $4mil for a #3 is a lot we'll have to wait to see the details though in the end.

Then again Arrington right now would be 5th on the depth chart for most fans and he has a pretty high contract too.

Yeah, I just wonder if getting a #3 receiver for just less then 4 million per year really makes sense in our system. I guess we'll have to wait to see the contract but if Lafelle plays for us the next 3 years he's making 3.7 per which is top 10 on our roster. I'd like to think he'll put up more then 40 catch 600 yard numbers.

And this is what me and Pro were talking about when we said they chose to put money into the bottom half of the roster instead of into the upper. Lately you've been leaning closer to our view compared to two weeks ago, glad there is some wiggle room for both sides to agree on things. I would say though, we don't know the details of the contract. If the signing bonus is small and the base salary is back loaded it might not be close to $4mil but might be more of a 2yr $2mil a year deal which for what he gives is fine. But I agree $4mil for a #3 is a lot we'll have to wait to see the details though in the end.

Then again Arrington right now would be 5th on the depth chart for most fans and he has a pretty high contract too.

The thing is, if Lafelle ends up with 40 catches a year for 700 yards, or Browner gets suspended for the ses3son, or even just doesn't play well as he just turned 30, or Revis blows his acl, or Edelman gets hurt fpr the 5th time in 6 years, it is the same thing as investing in guys like Dillion, Moss, Rodney, Adalius, Talib, Gronk, and Hernandez. They all have issues. There is risk everywhere in this league, and condeming the GM for how he has built a perennial SB contender is insanity.

The thing is, if Lafelle ends up with 40 catches a year for 700 yards, or Browner gets suspended for the ses3son, or even just doesn't play well as he just turned 30, or Revis blows his acl, or Edelman gets hurt fpr the 5th time in 6 years, it is the same thing as investing in guys like Dillion, Moss, Rodney, Adalius, Talib, Gronk, and Hernandez. They all have issues. There is risk everywhere in this league, and condeming the GM for how he has built a perennial SB contender is insanity.

There is a big difference True and it's how they protected themselves.

LaFell should be low cost and I'm guessing low guaranteed not to mention he's a 3rd WR you don't have to count on.

Browner has only $1mil guaranteed with no signing bonus which means they can dump him for nothing. They also have Ryan and Dennard as direct backups so if he fails out it doesn't hurt them. Also if you look at his red flags it's from a missed test when he wasn't even in the league it's not like he's never on the field because of that red flag.

Edelmans a little more risk for sure because of the injury but Brady seems comfortable with him. We've seen time and time again it's about comfort with Brady and his receivers so you almost have to take on a bit more risk to bring them in instead of new people.

Now look at the lists you gave True, all the character concern guys came in and restructured so they had pretty much no base on prove it type deals. Since players like Moss and Dillion were traded for we weren't on the hook for any signing bonus they had previously so it's little to no risk. Rodney signed for $1mil absolutely no risk there and that wasn't guaranteed so if they cut him in camp they owed nothing. Adalius was a higher risk but in the end he failed out because of personality conflict and that contract is specifically used by you and others as risks of signing big name players so I don't even know why you are using him as an example as the same thing.

Really when you look at the risks and what has and hasn't paid off in the end it breaks down to a couple catagories:

Those that pay of tend to be the ones who that basically had zero guaranteed money in and could cut at any time.

Those that didn't pay off were given more money upfront and disregarded their red flags (ie Amendola injury, Hern character, Lloyd locker room, Fanene injury).

With the right safe guards in place you can take some red flag risks, just as long as you don't take too many and you protect yourself. Browner is a prime example of protecting yoursefl, Amendola is not.

Really this offseason and last are almost complete opposites. Last offseason you targetted players past their prime and injury issues and didn't protect yourself with their contracts or by reforcing those areas with depth, this offseason you targetted players in their prime who are more durable and you protected yourself against potential red flag issues with depth and little guaranteed. This offseason is what I've been arguing how the offseasons should be handled, they got a couple of starters in their prime without many concerns and added some quality depth while not taking too many risks and playing around those risks instead of targetting the deal and figuring out things later.

we paid Ocho what? 6 million to do what? Catch one pass a game and now everyone is complaining about what we paid Lafell?

Ocho was a bad move cuz his off field antics and distractions were all known and he was not a good fit. Now we DO get a good fit, young, wont want to talk and will not have a problem learning cuz he is a YOUNG vet. Only 3 years played. Lots to like. I just feel fans are uninformed and going off numbers and not using context. Everyone here loved Givens and so if Lafell can improve his route running slightly, he wil be a better # 2 than Givens was. What are you guys expecting at 5 million per year??? Do you see what we got last year for 6 millon w/Amendola?? Lafell is a steal at 5 million when you see him outproducing Danny, you will agree.

Would rather have James Jones - he can stretch the field - we always solve by getting slow guys.

I think J.Jones is a bit overated on this board. You have seen his production # 1 playing with A-Rod, who is probably the closest thing to Brady,. not Cam Newton. # 2, James Jones has never been the man and has taken advantage of being around Jennings, Driver,etc his whole career before last year. Ive seen the film and he is nothing special. All or most his work out the slot and early on, he was the 4th guy. I think folks will be pleasantly surprised w/lafell. His best year was 2 years ago when he logged 14 TDs but then slipped to only 3 last year. He has been ok but never carried the load yet(59 catches last year). Jordy Nelson(85 catches) was the one putting in all the work for Jones to be able to take advantage as the # 2. The year before that it was Randall Cobbs 80 Catches that allowed him to get his 64. Lafell actually WAS the # 1 guy a lot last year when S.Smith was battling injury and they used Olsen the TE alot, as HE led the team w/73 catches and Carolina is a running team, Packers a passing team.

The other thing is J.Jones is still out there so not many clubs agree with the fans here about him I guess. He has gotten little to no interest. Im happy with the lafell move. Be patient and let the guy play.....He is Bigger than Jones too.

The WR position has been an area of weakness for the Pats, I'd argue, since 2009. I thought Moss's decline started that season and by 2010 he was losing battles in one-on-one coverage. After Moss, left, the only good wide recevier we had left was Welker. I understand we compensated with two good TEs, and while I liked the two-TE offense when both Gronk and Hern were in the game, I always felt that the lack of a second good receiver was a liability, especially whenever one of the TEs was out.

Since Moss was let go in the middle of the 2010 season, I think the Pats have mostly addressed the WR position with stop-gap moves--guys like Branch and Ochocinco who really were past their primes. Lloyd in 2012 maybe was an attempt to bring in a better quality player, but there were lots of red flags with him (he hadn't been able to stick for any length of time with any other team) and I was never crazy about that signing. I wanted a guy like Garcon, who I think would have been a great choice for the Pats, but he came at a cost. Lloyd was a cheap alternative and, unfortunately, like many cheap alternatives ended up being a disappointment--and not really that cheap either, since the Pats ended up paying him $4 million for his one year of service.

Last year, the Pats let Lloyd and Welker both go. Amendola really was just a replacement for Welker, so even if he had worked out better, he wasn't really improving the receiving corp, just stopping a leak. Lloyd was replaced with rookies. I like the move to youth, but not when you need a true number one receiver and your rookies are second and fourth round picks, plus an undrafted free agent. We also brought in a few junkie free agents, none of whom made the team. In my opinon, 2013 was the fourth offseason in a row where the key WR position was not adequately addressed.

This year I can't say whether things will be different, but the LaFell signing encourages me for three reasons. First, he is not simply a replacement for someone we let walk. He's a true addition. Second, he's not old and he has no questionable history of either injury or character issues. Third, he's a big guy who maybe increases the diversity of our WR group and has proven he can be a competent third receiver at least. I think LaFell is likely to make the team (not something I could say about Jenkins last year) and will add something we need to the mix of receivers.

I do think that if LaFell is the only new WR we bring in this year, we again won't have done enough at the WR position. I think we need one more decent WR to make this group truly competitive. That could be one of the better free agents still available (though none of these guys impresses me much) or a guy we trade for or, if necessary, a higher round draft pick. Dobson, Thompkins, and Boyce are all question marks still in my opinion. If one or two of them become quality starters then all will be well even if we pick up no one else, but going into the season expecting that to happen seems highly risky to me. Dobson is hurt, Thompkins seemed to peak mid season last year adn then fade away, and Boyce never did a thing when he had his chances. I just don't have a ton of confidence those guys are going to be enough. Amendola, Lafell, Edelman, Dobson, Thompkins, and Boyce (or Harrison?) doesn't strike me as a great list. Add one more accomplished veteran or a high round draft pick to that, though, and I think it looks pretty good.

The WR position has been an area of weakness for the Pats, I'd argue, since 2009. I thought Moss's decline started that season and by 2010 he was losing battles in one-on-one coverage. After Moss, left, the only good wide recevier we had left was Welker. I understand we compensated with two good TEs, and while I liked the two-TE offense when both Gronk and Hern were in the game, I always felt that the lack of a second good receiver was a liability, especially whenever one of the TEs was out.

Since Moss was let go in the middle of the 2010 season, I think the Pats have mostly addressed the WR position with stop-gap moves--guys like Branch and Ochocinco who really were past their primes. Lloyd in 2012 maybe was an attempt to bring in a better quality player, but there were lots of red flags with him (he hadn't been able to stick for any length of time with any other team) and I was never crazy about that signing. I wanted a guy like Garcon, who I think would have been a great choice for the Pats, but he came at a cost. Lloyd was a cheap alternative and, unfortunately, like many cheap alternatives ended up being a disappointment--and not really that cheap either, since the Pats ended up paying him $4 million for his one year of service.

Last year, the Pats let Lloyd and Welker both go. Amendola really was just a replacement for Welker, so even if he had worked out better, he wasn't really improving the receiving corp, just stopping a leak. Lloyd was replaced with rookies. I like the move to youth, but not when you need a true number one receiver and your rookies are second and fourth round picks, plus an undrafted free agent. We also brought in a few junkie free agents, none of whom made the team. In my opinon, 2013 was the fourth offseason in a row where the key WR position was not adequately addressed.

This year I can't say whether things will be different, but the LaFell signing encourages me for three reasons. First, he is not simply a replacement for someone we let walk. He's a true addition. Second, he's not old and he has no questionable history of either injury or character issues. Third, he's a big guy who maybe increases the diversity of our WR group and has proven he can be a competent third receiver at least. I think LaFell is likely to make the team (not something I could say about Jenkins last year) and will add something we need to the mix of receivers.

I do think that if LaFell is the only new WR we bring in this year, we again won't have done enough at the WR position. I think we need one more decent WR to make this group truly competitive. That could be one of the better free agents still available (though none of these guys impresses me much) or a guy we trade for or, if necessary, a higher round draft pick. Dobson, Thompkins, and Boyce are all question marks still in my opinion. If one or two of them become quality starters then all will be well even if we pick up no one else, but going into the season expecting that to happen seems highly risky to me. Dobson is hurt, Thompkins seemed to peak mid season last year adn then fade away, and Boyce never did a thing when he had his chances. I just don't have a ton of confidence those guys are going to be enough. Amendola, Lafell, Edelman, Dobson, Thompkins, and Boyce (or Harrison?) doesn't strike me as a great list. Add one more accomplished veteran or a high round draft pick to that, though, and I think it looks pretty good.

Good post. Agree on everything but who goes if we are to get another guy like Britt? Lafell will likely beat out the undrafted Thompkins. Jules is newly resigned and Dobson and Boyce seem to be locks. So does Amendola need to be cut to make room or is this the year we move on from Slater. I agree we could use a vet, but who goes?

Dobson, Lafell, Boyce, Edleman, Amendola, Slater. Thats 6 right there so I think we have to settle on a pass catching TE/WR hyrbid for that extra guy, no?

Good post. Agree on everything but who goes if we are to get another guy like Britt? Lafell will likely beat out the undrafted Thompkins. Jules is newly resigned and Dobson and Boyce seem to be locks. So does Amendola need to be cut to make room or is this the year we move on from Slater. I agree we could use a vet, but who goes?

Dobson, Lafell, Boyce, Edleman, Amendola, Slater. Thats 6 right there so I think we have to settle on a pass catching TE/WR hyrbid for that extra guy, no?

[/QUOTE]

I think we could keep 6 WRs including Slater (I doubt Slater will be let go given how good he is on special teams). We do need three TEs, I think, and I assume we keep Develin at FB. We then would keep four RBs, for a total of 14 offensive "skill" position players, which is in the range BB usually ends up with. If we wanted to keep a seventh WR we probably could, though I suspect we'd only keep six and the odd man out would probably by Thompkins, but could also be Amendola or Boyce. Or maybe Dobson starts the season on PUP if his foot isn't fully recovered?